from this that the Buddhist view ascribes to the highest intelligence the power to produce light from itself, and that in this respect also there is an agreement between Buddhism and Gnosticism."

Garbe here points out that as regards the points alluded to, the agreement between Gnosticism and the Sânkhya is very much closer than that with Buddhism; for while these views as to the relations between Light and Spirit pertain to the later phases of Buddhism, and are not at all fundamental to, or characteristic of it as such, the Sânkhya teaches clearly and precisely that Spirit is Light. Later still the influence of the Sânkhya thought is very plainly evident in the Neo-Platonic writers; while the doctrine of the LOGOS or Word, though not of Sânkhyan origin, shows even in its details that it has been derived from India, where the conception of Vâch, the Divine Word, plays so prominent a part in the Brâhmanical system.

Coming to the Christian religion, contemporaneous with the Gnostic and Neo-Platonic systems, we shall find no difficulty in tracing most of the same fundamental teachings with which we have now become so familiar. The three fold LOGOS appears as the Trinity, the First LOGOS, the fount of all life, being the Father; the dual-natured Second LOGOS the Son, God-man; the Third, the creative Mind, the Holy Ghost, whose brooding over the waters of chaos brought forth the worlds. Then come "the seven Spirits of God" (Rev., iv. 5), and the hosts of archangels and angels. Of the One Existence from which all comes and into which all returns, but little is hinted, the nature that "is past finding out"; but the great doctors of the Church Catholic always posit the unfathomable Deity, incomprehensible, infinite, and therefore necessarily but One and partless. Man is made in the "image of God” (Gen., i. 26, 27), and is consequently triple in his nature-Spirit and Soul and body (1 Thess., V. 23); he is a "habitation of God" (Eph., ii. 22), the temple of God" (1 Cor., iii. 16), the "temple of the Holy Ghost " (1 Cor., vi. 19)-phrases that exactly echo the Hindu teaching. The doctrine of reincarnation is rather taken for granted in the New Testament than distinctly taught; thus Jesus speaking of John the Baptist declares that he is Elias "which was for to come" (Matt., xi. 14), referring to the words of Malachi, "I will send you Elijah the prophet"-(Mal., iv. 5); and again, when asked as to Elijah

coming before the Messiah, he answered that "Elias is come already and they knew him not " (Matt., xvii. 12). So again we find the disciples taking reincarnation for granted in asking whether blindness from birth was a punishment for a man's sin, and Jesus in answer not rejecting the possibility of ante-natal sin, but only excluding it as causing the blindness in the special instance (John, ix. 1-3). The remarkable phrase applied to "him that overcometh" in Rev., iii. 12, that he shall be "a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out," has been taken as signifying escape from rebirth. From the writings of some of the Christian Fathers a good case may be made out for a current belief in reincarnation; some argue that only the pre-existence of the soul is taught, but this view does not seem to me supported by the evidence.

The unity of moral teaching is not less striking than the unity of the conceptions of the universe and of the experiences of those who rose out of the prison of the body into the freedom of the higher spheres. It is clear that this body of primeval teaching was in the hands of definite custodians, who had schools in which they taught disciples who studied their doctrines. The identity of these schools and of their discipline stands out plainly when we study the moral teaching, the demands made on the pupils, and the mental and spiritual states to which they were raised. A caustic division is made in the Tao Teh King of the types of scholars :

Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Tâo, earnestly carry it into practice. Scholars of the middle class, when they have heard about it, seem now to keep it and now to lose it. Scholars of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh greatly at it (Sacred Books of the East, xxxix., op. cit. xli. 1). In the same book we read :

The sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved. Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised? (vii. 2.) He is free from self-display, and therefore he shines; from self-assertion, and therefore he is distinguished; from self-boasting, and therefore his merit is acknowledged; from self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him (xxii. 2). There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one's lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting (xlvi. 2). To those who are good (to me) I am good; and to those who are

not good (to me) I am also good; and thus (all) get to be good. Το those who are sincere (with me) I am sincere; and to those who are not sincere (with me) I am also sincere; and thus (all) get to be sincere (xlix. 1). He who has in himself abundantly the attributes (of the Tâo) is like an infant. Poisonous insects will not sting him; fierce beasts will not seize him; birds of prey will not strike him (lv. 1). I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others. . . Gentleness is sure to be victorious, even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him (lxvii. 2, 4).

Among the Hindus there were selected scholars deemed worthy of special instruction to whom the Guru imparted the secret teachings, while the general rules of right living may be gathered from Manu's Ordinances, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and many

other treatises :

Let him say what is true, let him say what is pleasing, let him utter no disagreeable truth, and let him utter no agreeable falsehood; that is the eternal law (Manu, iv. 138). Giving no pain to any creature, let him slowly accumulate spiritual merit (iv. 238). For that twice-born man, by whom not the smallest danger even is caused to created beings, there will be no danger from any (quarter) after he is freed from his body (vi. 40). Let him patiently bear hard words, let him not insult anybody, and let him not become anybody's enemy for the sake of this (perishable) body. Against an angry man let him not in return show anger, let him bless when he is cursed (vi. 47, 48). Freed from passion, fear and anger, thinking on Me, taking refuge in Me, purified in the fire of wisdom, many have entered into My Being (Bhagavad Gitâ, iv. 10). Supreme joy is for this Yogî whose Manas is peaceful, whose passion-nature is calmed, who is sinless and of the nature of Brahman (vi. 27). He who beareth no ill-will to any being, friendly and compassionate, without attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving, ever content, harmonious, with the self-controlled, resolute, with Manas and Buddhi dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me (xii. 13, 14).

If we turn to the Buddha, we find him with his Arhats, to whom his secret teachings were given; while published we have:

The wise man through earnestness, virtue and purity makes himself an island which no flood can submerge (Udânavarga, iv. 5). The wise man in this world holds fast to faith and wisdo...; these are his greatest treasures; he casts aside all other riches (x. 9). He who bears ill-will to those who bear ill-will can never become pure; but he who feels no ill-will pacifies those who hate; as hatred brings misery to mankind, the sage knows no hatred (xiii. 12). Overcome

anger by not being angered; overcome evil by good; overcome avarice by liberality; overcome falsehood by truth (xx. 18).

The Zoroastrian is taught to praise Ahuramazda, and then:

What is fairest, what pure, what immortal, what brilliant. all that is good. The good spirit we honour, the good kingdom we honour, and the good law, and the good wisdom (Yasna, xxxvii.). May there come now to this dwelling contentment, blessing, guilelessness, and wisdom of the pure (Yasna, lix.). Purity is the best good. Happiness, happiness is to him: namely, to the best pure in purity (Ashem-vohu). All good thoughts, words and works are done with knowledge. All evil thoughts, words and works are not done with knowledge (Mispa Kumata). (Selected from the Avesta in Ancient Iranian and Zoroastrian Morals, by Dhunjibhoy Jamsetji Medhora).

The Hebrew had his "schools of the prophets" and his Kabbalah, and in the exoteric books we find the accepted moral teachings:

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully (Ps. xxiv. 3, 4). What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah, vi. 8). The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment (Prov. xii. 19). Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Is. lviii. 6, 7).

The Christian Teacher had his secret instruction for his disciples (Matt., xiii. 10-17) and he bade them :

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine (Matt., vii. 6).

For public teaching we may refer to the beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, and to such doctrines as:

you.

I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt., v. 44, 48). He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (x. 39). Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (xviii. 4). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law (Gal., v. 22, 23). Let us love one

another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God (1 John, iv. 7.)

The school of Pythagoras and those of the Neo-Platonists kept up the tradition for Greece, and we know that Pythagoras gained some of his learning in India, while Plato studied and was initiated in the schools of Egypt. More precise information has been published of the Grecian schools than of others; the Pythagorean had pledged disciples as well as an outer discipline, the inner circle passing through three degrees during five years of probation. (For details see G. R. S. Mead's Orpheus, pp. 263 et seq.). The outer discipline he describes as follows:

We must first give ourselves up entirely to God. When a man prays he should never ask for any particular benefit, fully convinced that that will be given which is right and proper, and according to the wisdom of God and not the subject of our own selfish desires (Diod. Sic., ix. 41). By virtue alone does man arrive at blessedness, and this is the exclusive privilege of a rational being (Hippodamus, De Felicitate, ii., Orelli, Opusc. Græcor. Sent. et Moral., ii. 284). In himself, of his own nature, man is neither good nor happy, but he may become so by the teaching of the true doctrine (μαθήσιος καὶ προνοίας ποτιδέεται Hippo, ibid.). The most sacred duty is filial pity. 'God showers his blessings on him who honours and reveres the author of his days"-says Pampelus (De Parentibus, Orelli, op. cit., ii. 345). Ingratitude towards one's parents is the blackest of all crimes, writes Perictione (ibid., p. 350), who is supposed to have been the mother of Plato. The cleanliness and delicacy of all Pythagorean writings were remarkable (Ælian, Hist. Var., xiv. 19). In all that concerns chastity and marriage their principles are of the utmost purity. Everywhere the great teacher recommends chastity and temperance; but at the same time he directs that the married should first become parents before living a life of absolute celibacy, in order that children might be born under favourable conditions for continuing the holy life and succession of the Sacred Science (Jamblichus, Vit Pythag., and Hierocl., ap. Stob. Serm., xlv. 14). This is exceedingly interesting, for it is precisely the same regulation that is laid down in the Mânava Dharma Shastra, the great Indian Code. . . . Adultery was most sternly condemned (Jamb., ibid.). Moreover the most gentle treatment of the wife by the husband was enjoined, for had he not taken her as his companion "before the Gods"? (See Lascaulx, Zur Geschichte der Ehe bei den Griechen, in the Mem. de l'Acad. de Bavière, vii. 107, sq.)

Marriage was not an animal union, but a spiritual tie. Therefore, in her turn, the wife should love her husband even more than herself, and in all things be devoted and obedient. It is further interesting to remark that the finest characters among women with which ancient Greece presents us were formed in the school of Pythagoras, and the same is true of the men. The authors of